Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-10-06
sroRINo SWEET Po1AToea.
acceptable Means bf Preserving Thi
Esculent Through tho winter.

- ONNNAN0 Nv = - = y ~FN-N%-
Acceptable Means br Preserving This
Esculent Through the winter.
Many persons in the North raise a
small patch Of sweet potatoes yearly,
but not enough TO last the family over
the winter. The reason is they do not
know how. To save in good condi-
ton they must be fairly well ripencd,
lifted from the ground before the vines
are killed by frost, or II not, the vines
must bc cut close TO the ground im-
mcdiatdly Upon being touched by
frost, little earth thrown over the
crowns aud then the potatoes should
be lifted from the soil, without bruis-
ing, on the first sunny day. Let the
potatoes dry in the sun, aud then
carefully place In covered piles where
they may sweat slightly, but on no ac-
count allow them TO heat oven slight
ly. Then carefully pack them in
barrels or other suitable packages, 10
be moved, always being careful not to
bruise them. Pack them away In
thoroughly dry leaves. or in sand
somewhere where the temperature
will not vary moro than between fifty
or sixty degrees. A corner Of the
kitchen or other room where there Is
no danger of freezing. will do. We
have had no difficulty in thus keeping
sweet potatoes perfectly until spring.
The Southern Farm gives the follow
ing as an acceptable means Of prcserv-
ing this esculent in the South, which
VIC excerpt for the benefit Of our nu-
merous readers;
The sweet potato harvest should be-
gin Immediately after the first decisive
frost. The vines are dragged OF with
an ordinary turning plow. barely let
ting It into the ground between the
rows. After this the timbcrs are lifted
with potato digger. In the absence
Of these useful implements, the work
can be done fairly well with n turning
plow, though greater care must be
used in picking up the potatoes, as the
turning plow will cover up a good
many.
The usual mode of putting up sweet
potatoes in the South. is in banks Of
conical heaps, containing from thirty
to hundred and fifty bushels each;
the smaller ones are picked out and
put in u separate bank for seed. After
piling up the crop evenly. the heaps
are covered with layer of dry corn
stalks or with litter. and then with
earth, which need not be more than an
inch and u half thick at harvest time,
but which should be gradually in
creased to four or six inches rs winter
advances.
Potato houses are used by some
growers in preference To banking the
tubcrs. When made with double
walls. with saw-dust well packed be-
tween the walls, the cold Is eflcctually
excluded. Such potato house may
be partitiOncd of into bins, holding
from twenty to fifty bushels each, in
which the tubcrs can be stored away
in dry sand.
When banking sweet potatoes,
either in n potato house or under an
open shed, il is very important to
leave an opening Of six or eight
inches at the top of the bank for yen-
tilatiou. Soon after being dug. po-
tatocs seem to undergo n sweating
process, which will cause rot il the air
is excluded. In cold weather, tlis
aperture has to be closed with an arm
ful of straw or hay Farm, Field and
StockmaH.